Court of Appeal backs airline suspension

The Court of Appeal has backed a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) decision to temporarily suspend a small charter airline's operator certificate.

Last week, The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) suspended Air National operations for 10 days.

The company appealed the suspension in the High Court, which ruled it should be lifted.

The CAA then appealed the High Court ruling in the Court of Appeal, which today quashed the lower court decision.

The suspension followed a routine audit in which the CAA found evidence of falsification of training records.

Air National was founded in 1989 and provides daily return services between Christchurch and Oamaru, and Christchurch and Hokitika for Air New Zealand Link.

- NZPA